Morning all.
Rennes it is then in the Europa League, a decent draw for us too I’d say. On paper at least. March 7th at 17.55hrs in France and then the following week it’s The Emirates for an 20.00hrs start. We were first out the pot so should be playing the home tie first but I think we’ve had to make way because Chelsea are at home on the 7th and their match was drawn first. Shame really as I prefer us playing away second because of the away goal rule.
Talking of Chelsea. What is it about that awful club which makes them care so much about what Arsenal are doing? We had it all with Mourinho and the childish attitude he had towards Arsene Wenger and now Sarri is at it too. Not for the first time either. His latest dig is about his Chelsea team being in the League Cup Final on Sunday which equates to them having a better season than us. Firstly, he/they haven’t won it yet and bearing in mind City thumped his team 6-0 when they met not so long ago, he might wish he’d never mentioned the final. Secondly, who really uses the least favourable competition there is going to justify how a season has gone? If he was managing Burnley, Huddersfield or Fulham etc and heading to Wembley on Sunday then yes, hats off to him but this is a manager and club who have spent millions after millions of pounds to get where they are today and the best he can do is brag about being in a final which he hasn’t even won yet. Another thumping and he might not even be in a job in a few days time.
Thankfully Unai Emery doesn’t seem to interest himself in what other clubs do, not yet anyway. His focus is on his own job and getting the best out of the players he has to hand. Denis Suarez has been talking about the man who signed him for Sevilla and again in January for Arsenal:
He was really demanding and methodical and delved right down into the detail. He works really hard both on and off the pitch and dedicates a lot of time to his work, and I think that’s partly where his success stems from.
He’s worked his way up from Segunda B – nobody has given him anything for free. He’s got to where he is now through hard work and because he’s very good.
He wants his team to press hard. He does a lot of work in training, not just tactically and with the ball, but also physically. He likes really dynamic players. He takes the tiniest details into account and does a lot of work around video analysis. He gives you hours and hours of video footage. In the end, the players realise that it’s good for them.There are similarities [between Emery as a coach now and then] but he has changed a bit because La Liga is very different to the Premier League. Perhaps we don’t focus so much on combination play as we did in Sevilla, but it’s a mix of combination football and counter-attacking. That’s the difference. I think he’s changed in order to adapt to the Premier League.
Arsenal.com
We haven’t seen too much of the pressing game so many who know Emery we’ll have talked about. In fits and starts yes, but it’s been very inconsistent. Funny enough though, it was against Liverpool, Toots and Chelsea we saw the best of this current team, the rest though have been hit and miss. It’s almost like the players know what’s expected of them and go all out in one game but then along comes the next fixture and they revert to the style of play they’ve been used to for so long.
The counter attacking game is an interesting tactic, the kind of game which saw Leicester City win the League. Their defending though was much better than ours is right now and when they broke away, they did so at a high tempo with Vardy causing all sorts of problems to the opposition. The kind of thing Aubameyang should be doing really but I guess other teams have wised up to that style of football by now. In any case, when the player who breaks away to turn defence into attack insists on putting his foot on the ball, stopping the pace and allowing the opponents to regroup, it’s not ever going to be effective. We can think what we like about Emery but Suarez clearly has a lot of time and respect for his fellow countryman.
Finally, Sokratis Papastathopoulos has also been talking to the official website but about Mesut Ozil:
Mesut is a fantastic player and when he is fit he is one of the most important players in the team.
Arsenal.com
Of course when something is not going well, everybody is there to criticise but we have to see also what Mesut did in the last years for this team. All the team, all the players are behind him and we need a good Mesut to go [forward] because we know that he is very important for us.
What to make of those comments I don’t know but the Greek defender is certainly sending out a message of support and not just from himself but the rest of the players too. If that kind of thing was said in similar circumstances a year ago, we wouldn’t see Sokratis for the rest of the season as he’d be in the naughty corner as Theo Walcott found out. I can’t see Emery leaving out our best defender though, he’s only just come back….
I’ve rambled on. Good luck to the women today. They face Man City in the Continental Cup Final. It’s a repeat of last years final which we won 1-0. City top the WSL with us just two points behind but with two games in hand so this contest today should be a good one. It’s live on BT Sport from midday.
Have a good Saturday guys, see you in the comments…..
Arsenal Women v Manchester City Women on BT Sport 1. today at 12:00.
Vcc, that’s in the post… 😜
Looks like Arsenal are to appoint Monchi. He has a great reputation and knows how to balance the books.. smart move if it comes off I reckon…
sorry rico…….At my age you have to allow for these types of slip ups. 🙂
Mine too Vcc. I had to check I’d actually typed it… 😜
Emery has been leaving Özil out, Rico, so I’m sure he’d have no issue leaving Sokratis out if he felt the need.
Let’s hope he doesn’t as the guys been very good for us this season.
Thinking back to Jose and his constant hitching about Wenger, was it when his side weren’t going so well?
Maybe it’s a tactic to deflect criticism-it certainly could be said Sarri needs some relief lol
Morning all.
Go the girls!!!
See what Aussie coaching can do 🙂 🙂
There’s a difference though Scott, Ozil has been left out because of his lack of commitment, Walcott was left out because of his comments about our lack of commitment. I can’t see Emery sulking over a few comments made by another player. Surely the official website wouldn’t have published them if there was a problem…
The women are showing what good players and hard work brings to a side. Not some Aussie…. 😜
Good morning Rico, I’m in dispute with my wife, lifelong Spurs supporter, over possession of the TV remote control. She wants to watch Burnley v Spurs I want to watch Arsenal Women take on Man City. There will be not such dispute later in the day when Wales play England as she is part Welsh, so we can watch together in a sort of armed truce.
Incidentally, it’s the FA Women’s Super League Cup Final, not as mentioned in your, otherwise excellent post, the Continental Cup. 😉
Aussie work ethic it is, no question hahaha
Oh, and we Aussies know how to treat Ladies 🙂 🙂
Scott, as manager Emery can select or omit any player he wants. But given the paucity of fit and competent defenders in our squad a decision to leave out Sokratis would be universally condemned.
Cicero….. A part Welsh, Tottenham supporting wife.
What may I ask, did you do wrong in a previous life? 🙂
Morning Cicero, I forgot you married a Toots fan. Poor you… lol
Really looking forward to the rugby, the Conti final too.
Scott, having watched the Aussie Love Island, I have to disagree. Lol
Rico, don’t be sucked into thinking Love Island has any resemblance to life here hahaha
That show was pathetic for the entire 3 1/2 minutes I could stand watching.
Cicero, I merely pointed out the fact he will stand any player down, no matter their reputation.
Rico, there are compensations in my marital situation, my mother-in-law was Welsh but my father-in-law, although born in England, had Italian parents. Some might say my wife is a bit of a mongrel….I wouldn’t dare. 😉
I like that Cicero.. lol
Morning Rico and all. As more players support Mesut I imagine that this might be the deciding factor in Emery’s prolonged tenure. If Monchi does come in I suppose that suggests some long-term strategy though. With or without either Emery or Ozil.
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico.
Arsenal Women on BT Sport…
@12 noon…
Morning Adam. The final piece in the ‘plan’ jigsaw perhaps…
Suarez was being very complimentary about Emery, it’s almost as if he knows that he’s going to be a Gunner next season.
I’ve not really seen any of this guy, only You Tube vids and they could make Gus Ceasar look world class.
But I’ve heard him described as an option to Iwobi and Mkhitarayan leaving Emery 3 players to rotate for the flanks.
Now as long as Nelson returns to the fold next summer and with the potential of Saka and Amaechi, that could leave us with 6 players who can be rotated in that position. Which makes sense as it’s a key area in our attacking arsenal.
Man City have Mahrez, Sterling, Sane and the little Portugese guy to rotate in that position and Guardiola seems the blueprint that Emery is following, less the billion quid to spend of course.
Scott, no comparisons between Sokratis and Ozil mate, Sokratis is a key player in the weakest dept of our team, Ozil plays when the fancy takes him. He won’t be in the team when we play Tottenham, you can’t take on the Spuds with 10 men, it’s difficult enough as it is with 11 motivated players.
Afternoon Kev you old hoot..
Agree re Suarez, I reckon we can pretty much consider him an Arsenal player for the foreseeable…
It’s a bit premature to talk of Suarez as a potential summer signing. So far we’ve seen very little of him and even less in Premiership football. Emery may know him well and must have some idea how he will respond to the Premiership environment but until Suarez actually gets to play a full game or to the jury is still out.
Nil nil at half-time, not too many scoring chances in a cagey game. All to play for in the second half.
I reckon he might start tomorrow as we’re at home..
Steph Houghton puts in a better corner than most of ours…
The thing with Mkhitaryan, who I like, is not only his salary but what he produces over the 90 minutes, he usually starts really well, does some good things then gradually fades out of the game until you forget he’s even playing, but like Iwobi he’s one of very few players in a squad that basically passes the ball to death, who actually runs with the ball.
Suarez seems to be the same type of player and at a price we can afford and that’s going to be the case for awhile, especially while we’re out of the Champions League moneyball.
Both have a poor final ball though. Usually anyway..
Nil, nil after ninety minutes, Arsenal hold on, just, to take City into extra time.
Thanks woodwork.. so far anyway.
Final score Burnley 2 – 1 Spurs.
Toots lost at Burnley, haven’t we got to go there..?
Final game of the season, hope we don’t need a win for 4th spot.
Oliver should have booked the City keeper after her first stupid antics.. really unsportsmanlike..
Lost on penalties. Good ‘keeping shame about the gamesmanship though.
New post up now